Tags: southbank

This 200 plus year old Live Oak on the Southbank of the St. Johns River sits on land that in the early 1900’s was home to Jacksonville’s Dixieland Park. The tree was named Treaty Oak in the 1930’s after a fictitious story was written by The Florida Times-Union writer Pat Moran about settlers and indians [...]

“In the foreground was the cleared land for the new park. South Main Street leading to the Main Street Bridge, Gibbs Shipyard in the center of picture. Lobster House on left. Mary Street on right. 1955.” LS This photo was taken at a time when the city was starting a building boom with a new [...]

“This picture was taken from the Southside of the St Johns River. You can see the old Lobster House and boat sales office. About 1958.” LS The boat wrapped up next to the Midtown Marina tent advertises ’1958 First Showing Borum Boats’ and a number of the watercraft with their distinctive tail fins can be [...]

“This beautiful scene pictures the docks between the two bridges. It’s Southside and you can see the Lobster house. (one of the finer eating places in town) about 1947. No buildings in background.” LS This would have been the area of the St Johns River on the bank where Friendship Park is now located. The [...]

“Another view of the Baptist Hospital with the new Prudential Insurance Company in the background. This was in 1948, lots of changes since then.” LS It is likely that the date of this photograph is in the 1950′s rather than the late 1940′s. Please check out the additional comments. Here is a little earlier version [...]

The shiny new Baptist Hospital building shortly after opening in the early 1950′s. Only a portion of this original structure still remains as the complex grows, and that wing is scheduled to be torn down in the not too distant future.

The Jacksonville skyline with an undeveloped Southbank in the foreground. The Main Street Bridge was only 7 years old when this photo was taken and was one of only two auto bridges across the St. Johns River to downtown. The other bridge was the old Acosta Bridge. “This photo shows what the Southside of Jacksonville [...]